NSW police commissioner, Andrew Scipione, made an extraordinary public appeal to the Rees Government today to introduce pub trading curfews across the state after a successful trial in Newcastle and his concerns about the safety of his officers:
He also said police officers were being injured, some severely, after becoming entangled in pub brawls.
“You can’t expect police to go to work not knowing that they’re going to come home, or at least there would be a very good chance that they’ll come home (not) in good shape.”
Yet, so far, Scipione’s desperate pleas have been met by cowardly silence from Rees and his Ministers. They need to come out tomorrow and back the curfew idea.
UPDATE: The health portfolio seems to strongly support reduced hours but the police minister is making excuses.
4 Comments
I suspect the NSW Government is awaiting results from the Victorian trial of 2am lockouts. In any event, the trial in Newcastle has proved successful in reducing violence and alcohol-related hospital admissions.
I agree with the police commissioner. Dumps like Kings Cross would benefit from a curfew. It is absolutely disgusting.
Hi Trev,
Good post highlighting an important issue. Using your deep knowledge of social networking, is there some way we can organise people to demonstrate support for the proposal, and the police force? A Facebook group doesn’t really cut it, does it? Is there anything else out there? Petitions are so 20C!
Simon
Interesting challenge, Simon, I will think on it
Commissioner Scipione already has a tool at his disposal to deal with this.
NSW Liquor Act 2007, Section 139 – Grounds For Making A Complaint.
The Commissioner of Police is one of the three designated positions who may make a complaint to the Casino, Liquor and Gaming Authority.
The complaint must be in writing and specify the grounds on which it is made.
There are 20 different grounds for complaint, or which two are:
(h) that acts involving violence against persons or damage to property have frequently been committed on or near the licensed premises by persons who have been on the licensed premises,
and
(t) that the continuation of the licence is not in the public interest.
Need I add that the Authority has wide powers to vary hours of the licence, or suspend, or cancel it.
If there is really a problem, then Commissioner Scipione has the means to solve it.
What do you think will happen when one, or two, or three, or four licences are varied on the complaint of the Commissioner?
It will certainly encourage the others.
Your readers may also be interested to know that there is a mechanism for them to register bona fide complaints about behaviour on or due to licnecsed premises.
Find it here:
http://www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/website_complaints_form.asp